Romance Me: A Collection Of Standalone & First In Series Books Read online

  Izzy jumped up. She knew telling Gemma about Drew would be a mistake. "No, I'm not jealous. I know how he treats girls." She marched into the kitchen and put her dishes in the sink. When she returned to the living room, she slipped into her sandals. "I need to go home," she stated.

  "Oh, no Izzy, don't go," Gemma pleaded. "I wanted to see how you felt about him, but I didn't text him or set him up. I'm sorry it’s a bad joke."

  It was too late, Izzy thought. Gemma's cruel joke upset her, and she wanted to go home. Her good mood vanished, and she didn't want to be around someone who always talked about him. "Sorry, Gem," she said. "It's been a long week and I need sleep."

  Chapter 7

  THE SOUND OF HER CELL phone woke Izzy. She didn't look at the caller ID before answering but wished she did. "Hello," she said.

  "Hey Isabella," Drew's voice her sent chills down her spine. "I'm sorry to disturb you so early, but there's an open house today. Think you're up to it?"

  She should have known he'd ignore everything she told him when they parted the day before. "I have so much to do today," she replied.

  "I know," he said. "It's just, I heard about this open house and thought it would be a good idea."

  Izzy sighed; he didn't get it. "No problem, you can go alone and if you're interested in the house, we can work something out."

  "Isn't it best to go with my agent?" Drew asked. "Besides, I think this one might be the one!"

  Izzy perked up. The thought of finding a house he'd settle on meant he wouldn't torture her any longer. As much as she didn't want to be near him over the weekend, Izzy couldn't help but want to push a sale. "Alright," she said. "Tell me the address and I'll meet you there."

  DREW SMILED AT HER when she pulled up to the open house. He raced across the street to help open her car door. "I'm so glad you came," he said as she stood up.

  Izzy remained professional. The open house should take less than an hour, then she'd be free to spend her weekend trying not to think of him.

  "Let's hope you like this one," she said as they walked up to the house.

  They walked through the lower level, upstairs, then back down to the main floor once again. Drew seemed happy about the house. He kept telling Izzy what he liked about it, which pleased her. Finally, she thought.

  They approached the backdoor and Drew suggested walking around the yard. Izzy followed him, knowing he skipped that part with the houses he didn't like.

  When they were out of reach of the other viewers, Drew said. "Let's talk."

  Assuming he referred to business, Izzy replied. "Do you want to make an offer on this one?"

  Drew reached for her hand and pulled her onto a bench. "No, Isabella, I want to talk about us, about what happened."

  Izzy pulled away and jumped up. "What? Here? Now?"

  "I don't see why not," Drew said. "It's not like you'll talk anywhere else."

  "For good reasons," Izzy snapped. This wasn't happening. Her stomach tied in knots again and sweat poured down her brows. "I had enough lies."

  Drew stood and followed her across the yard. "I never lied to you," he spoke just above a whisper.

  "No," Izzy thought about what to say. "You just withheld vital information. You know, like the fact you were living with your girlfriend and I was just a weekend getaway for you." She tried to walk away from Drew, but he stayed close.

  "I can explain all that to you," Drew replied. "I never meant to hurt you."

  "Story of my life," she sarcastically said.

  "I tried to contact you, to tell you how I felt."

  Izzy shook her head in disbelief. People looked in their direction, but she could no longer hold back from telling him off. "It's been five years, Drew," she snapped. "If it was that important to you, why did it take you so long?" She tried to keep her cool while arguing with him. Real estate was the most solid thing going for her, and Izzy didn't want her confrontation with Drew to give her a bad name.

  "What makes you think I gave up?"

  Izzy quivered. She recalled ignoring his phone calls and deleting his emails before reading them. A part of her realized that he hadn't given up, at least not as quickly as she first thought.

  "You think I randomly moved back here and wanted to buy a house?" She stood still when Drew spoke. "No, Izzy," Drew said her nickname for the first time. "I'm only back here because after all these years, I learned that you were too. I tried to contact you and tried to find you. Please believe me, I looked all over for years."

  Izzy's blood drained from her body, leaving her pale and weak. She feared falling in front of everyone at the opened house. "You looked for me?"

  "Yes, I wanted to explain everything to you."

  "Did you check the hospital?"

  Izzy watched the color fade from his face. Drew looked like a ghost. Izzy watched him re-sit on the bench. She couldn't believe she was telling him all of this, at an open house of all places.

  "Why," he choked on his words. "Why would I check the hospital?"

  Izzy swallowed hard, she knew he didn't deserve to find out the way she spilled it. She couldn't stop the words from slipping from her mouth. "You had no idea, because you never heard my reason for coming to see you that day, anyway."

  Drew's face buried in his hands. Izzy wanted to sit next to him, put her arms around him while she told him her part of the pain. But, she kept her distance. Getting too close to Drew would be a huge mistake.

  "I went to Indiana to tell you I was pregnant." Izzy sobbed as the words came out. Drew snapped his head up and looked at her with wide eyes.

  "What?"

  "The thought of you with someone else put my body through too much stress. By the time I made it back to the hotel, blood ran down my leg. The hotel manager rushed me to the hospital as fast as he could, but the baby didn't make it."

  She didn't care who looked their way any longer, and neither did Drew. They both cried. "Isabella," Drew tried his hardest to speak but couldn't.

  Izzy saw the whole thing flash in front of her eyes. She squeezed her stomach, convinced she had phantom pains. She looked at Drew and could see his heart break. Once, she thought he deserved to know what pain he caused, but now he knew, Izzy wished she never said anything.

  "I can't do this anymore, Drew." Izzy stated. She knew she shouldn't have worked with him to begin with. "Go find yourself another agent. I'm done." She turned around and ran along the side of the house. Her vision blurred, and she almost tripped, but Izzy needed to get to her car and away from Drew as fast as possible.

  Chapter 8

  THE DOOR SLAMMED BEHIND her. Izzy collapsed on the couch. Her secret exposed; her heart broke. Emotions, she bottled up for years, came crashing. Izzy let it out, cried, and couldn't stop the tears. The more she thought about how much she loved Drew, the more she sobbed.

  The thought of him trying to find her, even though she wanted nothing to do with him, tore Izzy apart. Would it have made a difference, she wondered? Five years before, she didn't want him to know she lost his child. It wouldn't have changed anything.

  Izzy didn't mean to let it slip out either. As upset as she was, Izzy never thought a man should find out he almost had a baby in that manner. Izzy couldn't forgive herself for her ruthless behavior.

  Her cell phone rang. Izzy reached to look at the caller ID, but had no plans to answer. “Oh, Gemma,” she cried to herself. “I should have confided in you. I should have come home to heal.” Izzy let her sister's call go to voicemail.

  Izzy recalled the day her world crumbled down. The doctors told her they couldn't stop the miscarriage. The nurses comforted Izzy the best they could. They offered to call someone for her, but Izzy refused. She wanted no one to know her grief. When learning that Izzy traveled alone, they admitted her for observations. The doctor wanted her to stay at least one night, just in case anything went wrong, or an infection occurred. Izzy didn't care, she had no one to go home to.

  She tried to block the event from her mind, but nothing could
ever make her forget. In time, Izzy's body and heart healed. Her mind, on the other hand, took time. She suffered depression, sought a therapist, and took medications for the first two years. After a while, she weened herself off and lived a positive lifestyle.

  Izzy shifted to her back and stared at the ceiling. Tears rolled into her ears as she closed her eyes. Her crying caused Izzy to hyperventilate. She tried to slow her breathing, then sped up again as a new batch of tears swelled.

  The room grew dark, but Izzy laid still. Her eyes closed, but she didn't sleep. Her stomach growled, but she didn't eat. Izzy's cell phone rang, but she didn't care. Before she knew it, the sun shone in the windows.

  Sunday morning, Gemma banged on her door and Izzy was glad that her sister didn't have a key. Her head turned as Gemma called out her name. Her mouth opened, but words wouldn't form. The banging stopped.

  Izzy heard her phone ring again, she reached for it. Drew. She threw it back onto the coffee table. As her eyes closed again, the familiar sound of a voicemail alert sounded. Izzy ignored it and rolled over.

  Sleep hit her hard. Izzy woke around ten o'clock the next morning. She sat up and placed her disconnected head against the back of the couch. She needed food. Izzy stepped into the kitchen and put two pieces of bread into the toaster. After making a cup of coffee, she buttered the burnt toast and gobbled it down.

  Realizing she was late for work, Izzy plugged in her cell phone to call Mr. Hochstetler. She looked at the call log. Drew hadn't called or text her since he left the voicemail. Part of Izzy felt relieved, but the other part wanted to cry again. Izzy took a deep breath and continued with her task. Deciding that she didn't want to speak to anyone, she texted her boss instead. He replied. "No problem, hope you feel better."

  Izzy stepped in the shower and let the hot water massage her aching body. When she finished, Izzy slipped into a pair of summer pajamas and crawled into bed. She didn't care she hadn't brushed her teeth or hair. Within minutes, she slept again.

  IZZY MADE IT TO WORK on Tuesday morning, feeling better, but not back to normal. Nobody said anything to her as she walked to her cubicle. They kept their eyes on her though. "What?" She mumbled, "Nobody ever calls in around here?"

  She sat at her desk and began her day as if nothing happened. Clara strolled in and Izzy rolled her eyes. "Drew Walker made an offer," she boosted. "I'm so glad he came to his senses and asked for my help."

  Izzy fought the urge to slap her. She resisted only because she told him to find someone else. What did she expect? She thought. Izzy never expected him to go to her, but what's done was done.

  Clara waited for Izzy to say something. Izzy could see the woman pout like she deserved recognition for selling a house to Drew Walker. Izzy wouldn't let Clara get to her. Instead, she focused on her work.

  Clara stomped her feet as she exited the cubicle. She turned to face Izzy, and said, "I'm so glad he'll be the proud new owner of 320 Sycamore."

  Izzy's face hardened as Clara stormed off. Her coworker set out to get under Izzy's skin and succeeded. She couldn't hold back the tears. 320 Sycamore was her dream, not Drew's. Izzy didn't show him the house on purpose because she wanted it to be hers. She lost everything and grew upset all over again. Izzy jumped up and ran to the bathroom before anyone could notice the moisture on her face.

  When she came out, Izzy noticed Mr. Hochstetler standing by Clara. The other agent looked upset. He probably scolded her for taking Drew, but Izzy didn't care about her coworker's problems.

  "Izzy," he said to her as she passed. "Did you hear?"

  She ran back to her cubicle as fast as she ran away from it. Izzy wondered why it seemed everyone stared at her. She wanted to tell them all she gave Drew Walker up, and that she expected him to find another agent.

  Her urge to scream at them faded when she noticed her cell phone ring. Izzy sat down and picked it up. Gemma. She knew she should have talked to her sister before this. "I'm so sorry I haven't called you back," she spoke. "I should have told you."

  "Drew was in a horrible car accident, Izzy." She heard her sister sob. "Please put your differences behind you and come to the hospital. They said he might not make it."

  Izzy dropped the phone.

  Chapter 9

  IZZY FELL BACK INTO her chair and put her hand over her chest. This wasn't happening, she thought. No wonder the entire office seemed to stare at her, they knew. Clara poked her head into the cubicle. "Are you okay," she sincerely asked. Izzy didn't answer, just remained frozen in her chair.

  The phone on her desk flashed. On it were messages from the day of work she missed. The red light distracted Izzy and brought her out of her initial shock. Drew's voicemail remained on her cell phone. Unheard. She placed it next to her ear and listened to it. The sound of his voice caused her to break down, but Izzy knew she had to stay strong.

  "Isabella," he started as a tear raced down her cheek. "I shouldn't have let you get away the day you came to see me. You caught me off guard and I didn't know how to explain things to you. You were so angry, told me you never wanted to see me again. I guess you meant it because even when our paths crossed, you avoided me like the plaque." Drew paused as Izzy anxiously waited to hear what else he had to say.

  She saw it all, like it just happened. The argument they had standing outside of his building, replayed in front of her eyes. Drew reached out to grab her arm, just like he did at the open house. Izzy's heart stopped as she listened to his voicemail.

  "You were right to assume that I was involved with both of you. But, Isabella, I loved you. I didn't plan any of it, us, we just happened. I was wrong, I know, to think I could have my cake and eat it too. When I realized how much I loved you, I wanted to end things with her." He paused again. "But, her father was dying. He suffered a long time, and she had been a wreck. I didn't have the heart to break up with her when she was losing him. Three months after you discovered the truth, he passed away. I stayed long enough for her to bury him and settle his estate. After that, Isabella, I tried so hard to find you. I hoped you'd understand. If I had any idea what happened to you that night, it would have changed things. You shouldn't have gone through that alone and I beg you to forgive me. I love you Isabella. I never stopped. Please give me another chance."

  Izzy swore she heard him sob before the voicemail cut off. She no longer cared who saw her cry. Izzy jumped up and grabbed her purse. As she barged through the office, she ran into Mr. Hochstetler. He put his hand out to stop her.

  "You're in no condition to drive," he said. "I'll drive you to the hospital." He put his arm around her shoulder and guided her toward his car. All Izzy cared about was getting to the hospital. She prayed Drew would make it.

  Chapter 10

  BEFORE IZZY ARRIVED at the hospital, they took Drew into emergency surgery. They told her when she got there they were removing his spleen, but something must have gone wrong. He should have been out. Gemma and Jake wrapped their arms around Izzy. Mr. Hochstetler told them he needed to get back to the office but asked them to update him before leaving. Izzy, Gemma and Jake sat silently in the waiting room.

  The clock on the wall ticked, the only sound heard. Izzy's heart stopped. Her patience grew thin. Every time the swinging doors opened, her head turned, hoping for news. She looked around; Gemma rested her head on Jake's shoulder and he lowered his head. Nobody else waited for Drew. She realized they were the only family he had left.

  "Call me if anything changes," Izzy said to Gemma. She stood and headed toward the exit. "I'm going for a walk."

  Izzy couldn't handle being in the waiting room any longer. She leaned against the wall in the hallway and closed her eyes. The beating in her chest sounded like her fist knocking on his door all those years before. Izzy saw another woman open the door. Who are you? Her eyes popped open after seeing the memory flash before them. She needed to let go.

  Izzy stepped into the elevator and went up to the third floor. Mindlessly, she walked down the hallway and turned left. She cou
ldn't stop her tears as she approached the nursery. Izzy stood by the window. Pink and blue were the only colors she seen. The rest of the hospital remained colorless.

  She focused on the babies and didn't notice Gemma standing beside her until she spoke. "It's going to be alright."

  Izzy thought her sister sounded positive, and she wanted to believe her. She couldn't speak. Izzy placed her head on her sister's shoulder. Gemma turned Izzy around and embraced her harder than she had in a long time. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Izzy let her emotions out.

  Gemma took her by the hand and walked her over to a row of chairs. She took a tissue out of her pocket and wiped Izzy's face. "I would have been there for you," she said. "Drew would have been there for you."

  "I would have been there too," Aunt Laura's voice startled Izzy.

  She glanced at Gemma, but didn't have to ask how their aunt knew. It didn’t matter, she realized. Aunt Laura helped raise the girls, being with them during a tragedy like this didn't surprise Izzy. She shook her head at them. "There wasn’t anything any of you could have done."

  "Maybe not," Aunt Laura said. "But sometimes, you need your family around before you can mourn. We're all part of the healing process and we're here now." She rubbed Izzy's back as her niece leaned into her.

  "My biological clock isn't ticking," Izzy stated. "It's broke." A fresh batch of tears poured from her eyes.

  "No, honey, it didn't," Aunt Laura said as she looked at Gemma. "Did a doctor tell you that?"

  Izzy shook her head then wiped her eyes. "Just a feeling I have."

  Gemma reached for Izzy's hand and squeezed it. "Feelings can be wrong."

  She touched Izzy's chin and turned her face, but the vibration of Izzy's phone jolted them. Izzy was the first to jump up and run toward the elevator.

  They ran into the emergency department as quick as they could and took a moment to catch their breaths. When Izzy looked up, she saw him. They were admitting Drew into the ICU. A team of doctors and nurses surrounded him while he slept. It happened too fast; the bed rolled down the hall, doctors yelled orders out, aides held the doors open, and nurses hooked Drew up to IV's and monitors.